Quiot “Domaine Houchart” 2005 Côtes de Provence (Provence) – Sun-drenched raspberry and strawberry, done up in semi-lurid fashion. Heavy, like so many Provençal rosés that hit the export market. And is that residual sugar, too? (7/06)

35% grenache, 25% syrah, 20% cinsault, 10% cabernet sauvignon, 5% mourvèdre, and 5% “other.” Don’t you just love categories like that? Anyway, this is either produced or owned by the Quiot family (better known for their Châteauneuf-du-Pâpes from Vieux Lazaret and Duclaux) – the bottle and the web site differ on this point – and could almost be said to taste concocted for the American market. It’s probably not, but what it’s definitely not is very good. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: molded synthetic. Importer: Ruby. Web: http://www.jeromequiot.com/.

Trimbach 2003 Pinot Gris Ribeauvillé “Réserve” (Alsace) – Heavy, with good metallic pear aromatics and fair acidity, but absolutely no finish. None. Wham-bam-thank-you-wine. (7/06)

2003 claims its European victims in many ways, and here’s yet another. Producers who deal in relentless residual sugar did a little better (or at least covered their tracks better), but all in all it’s not shaping up to be a particularly exciting vintage for the fatter Alsatian grapes (pinot gris and gewurztraminer). As for the rest, we’ll see. Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Diageo. Web: http://www.maison-trimbach.fr/.

Renardat-Fache Bugey Cerdon (Ain) – A vivid neon froth of strawberries and raspberry flowers with touches of rose petal jam; incredibly flavorful, but a bit sudsier and more abrupt than previous releases. (7/06)

Gamay and poulsard, or maybe just gamay (there are apparently different lots of this wine in certain years, which can be differentiated by a lot number that’s very difficult to find), and…as always…“soda pop for adults.” Alcohol: 7.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner/LDM.

Producteurs Plaimont “Les Vignes Retrouvées” 2004 Côtes de Saint-Mont (Southwest France) – Simple, earth-infused stone fruit, beaming sun and shade in equal measure. A simple little country gem, perfect in its own way. (7/06)

The cépage of this one is unknown, though arrufiac, courbu, gros manseng and petit manseng are all possible. This is a cooperative winery; cooperatives the backbone of “traditional” French viticulture, but are almost totally unknown in the States. Sometimes, it’s no big loss…and sometimes, it’s a shame, for quality-minded cooperatives can be a terrific source for inexpensive everyday wines with real character. Which this one is. Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Carolina Web: http://www.plaimont.com/.

Dubourdieu “Château Graville-Lacoste” 2004 Graves (Bordeaux) – Fresh yellow/lime-green fruit and grass, with solid acidity. A bit foursquare and masculine – I’d prefer a little more spring in its step – but very tasty with the right food…something crisp and light. (7/06)

Mostly sémillon, with sauvignon blanc in a supporting role. This is the opposite of how the blend usually works in New Zealand, for a number of reasons (the greater marketability of sauvignon, a more variable quality to the sémillon, and the fact that Australia already does quite well with varietal sémillon bottlings), so it can be hard to readjust expectations enough to appreciate white Bordeaux on its own merits. Nor is it often well-served by comparison to the sauvignons of the Loire Valley. But what white Bordeaux is – or rather, can be – is a more elegant, more refined, and perhaps more dignified expression of the same thought pursued from Sancerre to Marlborough. Graville-Lacoste is typically quite adept at inhabiting this niche, though it remains a relatively “fun” wine in most vintages. Alcohol: 12%. Closure: cork. Importer: Lynch.

Tablas Creek 2004 “Côtes de Tablas” Blanc (Paso Robles) – A rich mélange of raw, roasted and pressed-into-oil nuts, with wet grey minerality, a creamy texture, and a pleasant overlay of peach and nectarine purées. Long and structurally sound, with aging potential. (7/06)

55% viognier, 29% marsanne, 8% grenache blanc, 8% roussanne. The Perrin family’s California venture (they’re the ones who make Beaucastel in France) is better-known for its Rhône-style reds, but I think the whites are a more remarkable achievement; other producers had already proved that California could be successful with the Rhône palette of red grapes (though few make them as well as Tablas Creek). Whites, however, have been a decidedly mixed blessing elsewhere…either too thin and uninteresting, or too fat and overwhelming, or oaked and tarted up in the manner of the most abused chardonnays. The whites at Tablas don’t have the same intensity of slightly oxidative minerality that their Rhône ancestors do, but they’re developing it vintage by vintage (could it be related to vine age?), and the results are a lot of fun to drink. Alcohol: 14.5%. Closure: cork. Web: http://www.tablascreek.com/.

Clos du Paradis “Domaine Viret” 2000 Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Saint-Maurice “Cosmic” (Rhône) – Beautiful, dry-roasted dark berries and rich, organic black earth with mixed herbs, sandy-textured tannin, and interminglings of maturing, autumnal fruit. Just beautiful. (7/06)

Viret’s Dressner-specific cuvée, meant for earlier drinkability (though I wonder if there will be any more, as it used to be represented on their web site, and is no longer there) than most of their more strong-willed bottlings. Still cosmocultural, and still delicious. Who cares how they make it, if these are the results? (Well, obviously they do.) Alcohol: 14.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner/LDM. Web: http://www.domaine-viret.com/.

Leydier “Domaine de Durban” 2002 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (Rhône) – From 375 ml. Sweet peach and pear with quartz-crystal minerality and freshening acidity. Striking, satisfying, and complex. Year after year, this is the best muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise on the market. (7/06)

It’s interesting that, even fortified, this is lower in alcohol than many high-octane California whites and reds. What’s more interesting is that the quartz-like minerality carries through to Durban’s striking Beaumes-de-Venise red. Anyone still doubting the influence of terroir after tasting these two wines is just ignorant (or possibly mean-spirited). Alcohol: 15%. Closure: cork. Importer: Lynch.

Henri de Colbert “Château de Flaugergues” 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc La Mejanelle Rosé (Languedoc) – Bright, sunny raspberry and strawberry in their full, unadulterated freshness…as if right off the vine. There’s a hint of lavender on the finish. Extremely pleasant quaffing rosé. (7/06)

A saignée-style rosé made from grenache, cinsault and mourvèdre, from a terroir fairly well-known by its use at Domaine Clavel. Wines like this aren’t made for analysis, but rather for chilling and drinking on a hot summer day (or night). And the screwcap closure – rare and almost revolutionary for a French winery – preserves this quality better than any cork ever could. Alcohol: 12.5%. Closure: screwcap. Importer: Ideal. Web: http://www.flaugergues.com/.

Bucci 2004 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico “Superiore” (Marches) – Fresh but intense pale citrus and seawater, kelp, mountain flowers and black licorice. A fascinating and complex wine, and a terrific bargain as well. (7/06)

100% verdicchio. Bucci’s straight-ahead verdicchio has every reason to be a disappointment next to its majestic riserva bottling, and yet it’s not. There’s terrific fruit at work here, with winemaking that allows it to express itself (and its site). Yet another counter-argument to those who claim that Italian whites are, in their entirety, dull. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Empson. Web: http://www.villabucci.com/.

Delas Frères 1999 Côtes-du-Rhône “Saint-Esprit” (Rhône Valley) – Mildly corked. A shame, too, as there’s a nice wine lurking in there. (7/06)

Mostly syrah, with some grenache. And ruined by a substandard closure. Alcohol: 12.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Maisons Marques & Domaines. Web: http://www.delas.com/.

Vier Jahreszeiten 2004 Dürkheimer Feuerberg Gewürztraminer Kabinett Trocken 055 05 (Pfalz) – Restrained lychee skin, rose petal, and macadamia nut oil with good acidity and the impression (but not the actuality) of sweetness. A light, summery, quaffing-type gewürztraminer…something that’s a lot rarer than one might think. (7/06)

Rightly or wrongly, the Pfalz is often compared to Alsace…so it’s no real surprise that gewürztraminer would do well here. The trick with gewürztraminer is to get it ripe enough to bring out the striking aromatics, but not so ripe that it becomes heavy, alcoholic, and acid-deficient. In these specific pursuits, the Pfalz frequently can and does do as well or better than Alsace. And while the latter remains the premier gewürztraminer region of the world (with Gisborne in New Zealand a possible second), the Pfalz presents a worthy alternative take on this most individualistic of grapes. Alcohol: 12.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Boston Wine. Web: http://www.vj-wein.de/.

Posted part five before part four. Let’s see about fixing that…

Kuentz-Bas 2004 “Alsace” (Alsace) – A mélange of spicy, off-dry stone fruit with some grapefruit-like crispness supporting the whole package. Simple, fun and fruity…and a good value. (7/06)

A blend of Alsatian varieties (which could mean any or all of the following: riesling, pinot gris, gewurztraminer, muscat, pinot blanc, chasselas, auxerrois, sylvaner, and even no-skin-contact pinot noir). Traditionally, this would be called a zwicker…or, if it stuck to the riesling/gewurztraminer/pinot gris/muscat quartet, an edelzwicker…but both names are somewhat debased in the public mind. Its counterparts in the U.S. market would be wines like the Sparr “One” and the Hugel “Gentil,” if you’re interested in comparisons. Alcohol: 12.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Lynch. Web: http://www.kuentz-bas.fr/.

Alois Lageder “Tòr Löwengang” 2004 Pinot Grigio Benefizium Porer (Alto Adige) – Clean mountain streams cascading through firm pillars of minerality and down a white granite cliff, and exploding in a fine mist over an orchard of ripe Bosc pears. Definitely not mass-market pinot grigio. (7/06)

This, like many of the top pinot grigios from the spectacularly beautiful Alto Adige, is (at least in part) barrel-fermented and/or barrel-aged; 20% or so, according to the data I’ve seen. Oaking pinot gris is rarely a good idea, but virtually every success with the technique that I’ve ever tasted has come from the producers of this region. Why might that be? Intensity of flavor, perhaps, or maybe just a Germanic reluctance to overuse the technique when such varietal purity and site-specificity are in evidence. Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Lageder/dalla Terra. Web: http://www.lageder.com/.

Trimbach 2001 Gewurztraminer (Alsace) – Solid lychee and crushed quartz with bitter cashew oil and a solid wall of rose petals on the finish. (7/06)

Detractors of gewurztraminer – and there are many – tend to be particularly repelled by drier versions, which exhibit all sorts of odd-for-wine aromas and textural elements; residual sugar can be a nice buffer for these people. On the other hand, there’s nothing strange about gewurztraminer’s aromatics in comparison to, say, a red from the Rhône Valley. In fact, there are similarities: both move asymptotically towards meat-like characteristics with age. Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Diageo. Web: http://www.maison-trimbach.fr/.

Granger 2002 Juliénas (Beaujolais) – Roses, violets and peach blossoms over a zingy froth of raspberry and strawberry; crisp, pure and engaging. (7/06)

I’ve got three wildly differing notes on this wine…one was cork-affected, one was dark-fruited, and this one is decidedly lighter in aromatic hue. Chalk it up to cork variation, bottle variation, or whatever…but the one thing they all have in common is a strong floral aspect. Terroir? Might be. Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Rosenthal.

Breton 2004 Morgon “Vieilles Vignes” (Beaujolais) – Looks and smells so light – a burst of summer flowers and red berries – that the persistent growth of the palate, adding both structure and surprising depth to the experience, is a bit shocking. As agile as a dancer, but with the fortitude to persevere for years. Marvelous wine. (7/06)

The importer for this one calls his stable of Beaujolais producers “The Gang of Four,” and they get a lot of media attention. Really, this is a bit dismissive to a lot of other producers doing great work in the regions, but then it’s Kermit Lynch’s business and he can promote it the way he wants. One caveat, though: Breton is one of the low- or no-sulfur-added enthusiasts, and while this may or may not make for a more pristine wine (I think the jury’s still out on that), it does render the wine very susceptible to poor transport or storage conditions. Lynch takes extraordinary measures to protect his wines while they’re under his control, but eventually he sells them to wholesalers, and between there, retailers, restaurants and the public, there’s no telling what could happen. I highly recommend this wine, but be sure it’s purchased from a place you trust to not have baked it at some point in its life. Alcohol: 12.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Lynch.

Au Bon Climat 2004 Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County) – Soft red and lavender berries with a gentle, easygoing approach. There’s some brightening acidity, and a cluster of earthy/rocky structural elements tumbling about the wine, but mostly this is about an enticing, fragrant, fruit-forward beverage of both joy and elegance. (7/06)

85% pinot noir, 15% mondeuse. ABC (as people tend to call it) is one of the older guard of pinot producers in this currently very active region. The wines retain a sort of Europhilic nod towards a style that’s not quite in vogue these days, but they’re still unquestionably Californian wines. Still, if you like your West Coast pinot to have some elegance and lightness, ABC is one of the best options. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: cork. Web: http://www.aubonclimat.com/.

Cooper Mountain 2002 Pinot Noir “Reserve” (Willamette Valley) – Corked. (7/06)

It’s a shame: so much attention paid to the biodynamic regimen in the vineyard, careful work in the cellar, and the whole thing is ruined by a few cents’ worth of tree bark. I do hope Cooper Mountain is investigating the alternatives. Alcohol: 12.5%. Biodynamic. Closure: cork. Web: http://www.coopermountainwine.com/.

Porter Creek 2004 Zinfandel “Old Vine” (Sonoma County) – Spicy, dark plums, a bit of black road tar, and reduced blueberry concentrate with a dusting of freshly-cracked black pepper; an intense, powerful wine that nevertheless carries a nice undercurrent of acidity. The wine, for all its force, is fairly round and balanced, promising at least the potential for balanced aging. (7/06)

This is a bit of a hidden gem in the Russian River Valley. It’s tucked away in a beautiful setting away from the major tourist thoroughfares, and probably doesn’t get the respect it deserves…because they make some pretty lovely wines here. Only the loss of one of their key vineyards to Gallo (who, of course, started moving earth around the moment they could get their tractors on it) has kept this winery from moving from strength to strength. Alcohol: 15.1%. Closure: cork. Web: http://www.portercreekvineyards.com/.

Easton 2004 Zinfandel (Amador County) – Spicy, slightly untamed dark blueberry and blackberry fruit given a fleeting attempt at polish in the cellar…it pretties things up a bit, but there’s no real way to restrain this much fruit. It’s not overpowering, though it might be a little acid-deficient. (7/06)

Amador zin is an almost perfect evocation of the region: untamed, wild frontier country that has never really advanced into the slick modern age. Which isn’t to say there isn’t slick, modern winemaking to be found, only that the terroir seems to mitigate against it. But whenever a zin reminds me of a skin-scratching slog through a dense underbrush of berry vines, I think Amador. And I’m usually right. Alcohol: 14.5%. Closure: cork. Web: http://www.terrerougewines.com/.

Mustela 2004 Moscato d’Asti (Piedmont) – Fresh, floral and succulently sweet, with that wonderful, fruity lightness that one expects from this wine. Plus, of course, bubbles. Too many moscatos d’Asti seem, these days, to strive overmuch for perfume and power; the wines are much better without such exertions. (7/06)

The difference between Asti Spumante (which means sparkling wine from Asti) and moscato d’Asti (which means muscat from Asti, but also happens to be sparkling) is about as clear as mud to the average consumer, but it’s really a twofold difference. The first – the one actually mandated by legislation – is merely a variation in the allowed range of finished alcohol levels…lower for moscato d’Asti, higher for Asti Spumante. The second is not mandated, but rather subject to the needs of marketing: it is the (probably correct) belief of many producers that the Asti Spumante name has been devalued by a lot of cheap, heavily advertised products. However, it’s important to note that there’s no inherent qualitative difference between the two, and even though moscato d’Asti gets most of the admiring press, there’s plenty of tasty Asti out there as well. Alcohol: 5.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Arborway.

Julien “Château Villerambert Julien” 2005 Minervois Rosé (Languedoc) – Crushed essence of pure raspberry. Delicious. (7/06)

40% syrah, 30% grenache, 20% carignan, 10% mourvèdre, made via saignée (bleeding of juice from a red wine). Far too many southern French rosés are either flavor-deficient or overly alcoholic (and sometimes both). This, however, is marvelous in both categories. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Ideal. Web: http://www.villerambert-julien.com/.

Albajan “Domaine de la Mirande” 2004 Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet (Languedoc) – Wet limestone, ripe lemon and green apple. Simple, but tasty if well-chilled. (7/06)

Picpoul is the grape, and this specific appellation is one of the most underrated in all of France. As such, it remains a screaming bargain; though this wine is fine it’s not the best example of the style (instead, look for the Hugues Beaulieu from Cave des Costières de Pomérols imported by Kysela). Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Arborway.

Bucci “Pongelli” 2002 Rosso Piceno (Marches) – Rough strawberry and porcini notes with a dusting of grey earth and little flecks of rosemary hanging about. The fruit seems to be approaching maturity, though the structure is still quite firm, and its possible that a few more years will resolve this…or possibly the fruit will dry out before that happens. In either case, this is a nice, traditionally-styled Italian wine for those who are seeking such things. (7/06)

50% sangiovese, 50% montepulciano. This label de-emphasizes the appellation so much that I wonder about the reason. In any case, nothing else about it is out of the ordinary, and while it might not have the quasi-exotic force of some Rosso Piceno, it has plenty to offer both with and without food. Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Empson. Web: http://www.villabucci.com/.

Rosemount 2004 “Diamond Label” Shiraz (South Eastern Australia) – Dense, slightly charred blueberry with some sour/stale characteristics and a slightly spicy, but overly flat finish. This might improve with a bit of age, but it seems unlikely. (7/06)

Rosemount’s “Diamond Label” used to be a solid, reliable performer. It still is, I suppose, but the quality has slipped…making it reliably mediocre. It’s a shame, too, because simple, fruity shiraz from Australia can be one of life’s least complex pleasures. Alcohol: 14%. Closure: extruded synthetic. Importer: Rosenthal. Web: http://www.rosemountestate.com/.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2002 Chardonnay (Columbia Valley) – Nasty, fetid oak with a vile bitter streak. Horrid. (7/06)

Really, what more is there to say? Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Web: http://www.ste-michelle.com/.

Dr. Fischer 2002 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese 1 04 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Strikingly vivid, with piercing acidity slashing through light-infused sweetness and shattering against a molten aluminum core. Still quite primary, but there’s limitless potential here. (7/06)

All the German pradikats (ripeness levels) have lost their meanings in recent years, with even the most lowly kabinett all too often being an auslese-wannabe. This wine actually tastes like it might be a natural spätlese, albeit on the riper side of things…maybe just edging into auslese territory (it’s impossible to know for sure without a lab analysis, and drinking’s a lot more fun than playing with beakers). Alcohol: 9%. Closure: cork. Importer: Carolina.

JJ Christoffel Erben 1998 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett 04 99 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Creamy lime, lemon curd, and a lovely, soft texture with lingering remnants of spice on the finish…which is brightened by crisp apple shavings and nice acidity. Perfectly mature. (7/06)

This is probably a bit old for a kabinett…not that they can’t age this long (especially from a good site and producer); it’s just that when they’re good young, they’re so good that it’s a little silly to hold on to them. But if you do, here’s an example of what can happen: all the best qualities of aged German Riesling, writ small (as a kabinett should be). Plus, there’s even the trademark Würzgarten spice. Alcohol: 7.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Theise/Skurnik. Web: http://www.moenchhof.de/.

Boxler 2002 Pinot Gris L50 (Alsace) – Big spiced pear with a metal edge and great acidity. Simple now, but there are hints and teases of a greater complexity to come. (7/06)

Boxler’s elaborate lot coding system is something I understand in its French incarnation. But I’m a little unclear on the American bottlings, which are different. My supposition about this one – L50 – is that it’s an assemblage, not a single-site wine (Boxler makes several wines from lieux dits that are not specified on the label outside the lot number), because the site-specific wines tend to have letters trailing the number. And if you think that this sort of arcanity is anathema to casual wine appreciation, you’re right. Why mimic the worst abuses of the German system? Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Chadderdon.

Drouhin 1996 Chambolle-Musigny (Burgundy) – Soft and balanced, a little recalcitrant at first opening but quickly blossoming to something really elegant. There’s five-spice powder, raspberry, strawberry blossoms and seeds, and with all the tannin fully resolved and the acid fully integrated there’s nothing to get in the way of this gorgeous and aromatic fruit. (7/06)

Chambolle-Musigny is known for producing wines of elegance, and this wine pretty clearly states its origins. It’s a village wine, which means the grapes can come from anywhere within the village boundaries of Chambolle-Musigny (in reality a village plus a defined number of vineyards around the village), and ten years is a pretty good lifespan for such a wine. Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby. Web: http://www.drouhin.com/.

François Lumpp 1999 Givry Crausot “1er Cru” (Burgundy) – Almost shockingly primary, with strawberry seed, ripe mint juice, and a spicy herbality surrounding a full-fruited, tingly wine that clearly leans towards the black fruit realm. Honestly, in a blind tasting, I’d probably identify this as being from Oregon, or at least the Russian River Valley. It’s a very nice little wine, but I’m not convinced it has much to say about Givry. (7/06)

What little I’ve been able to learn about this producer suggests that the wines are minimally amplified, in both the vineyard and the cellar. How, then, to account for the performance of this bottle…which, if it continues along its current lines, will most likely be exceptionally long-lived for a Givry? Well, the simple answer is that I can’t. Anyone have any suggestions? Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Vineyard Road.

Coulon “Domaine de la Pinède” 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe (Rhône) – Spiced bubblegum, rosemary, thyme, and raspberry with meat liqueur and a gorgeous, long finish. The wine is surprising in its youthful, full-bodied presentation of completely tertiary elements; it’s come to full maturity very, very early. (7/06)

Wines have different purposes, and not all wines must be forceful, structured and long-aging to be excellent. Normally, so-called “off-vintages” fit this bill…things to drink while one waits for better bottles to come to a drinkable state…but with the escalating price of ageable wines (especially from Europe, given the dollar’s dismal performance) and a world of worthwhile alternatives, this isn’t always an appetizing option. But then there are wines like this one, which comes from a theoretically fine year, but was just never meant for old bones. To have this much aged complexity in such a young wine (eight years is not a long time for Châteauneuf) is as welcome as it is rare. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: Corcia.